The fair place to meet is Raleigh-Durham, NC — the city closest to the midpoint of Charlotte and Richmond. From the farther side that’s about 3 hr 28 min of driving.
Recommended midpoint
Raleigh-Durham, NC
From Charlotte
3 hr 15 min
130 mi to Raleigh
From Richmond
3 hr 28 min
139 mi to Raleigh
That’s an even split — both sides drive within 13 min of each other. Charlotte and Richmond are about 248 miles apart.
Charlotte and Richmond are about 248 miles apart by road. Split the difference and you arrive near Raleigh, the city closest to the halfway point between them. That splits the trip almost evenly — about 3 hr 15 min from Charlotte and 3 hr 28 min from Richmond.
At this range, Raleigh works for a same-day meetup: close enough from both Charlotte and Richmond to meet for lunch or an afternoon and still be home by evening.
If Raleigh doesn't have what you're after, Washington and Pittsburgh are also close to the midpoint and worth a look — each keeps the drive reasonably balanced between Charlotte and Richmond.
Raleigh is the capital city of the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the second-most populous city in the state, tenth most populous city in the Southeast, the largest city in the Research Triangle area, and the 39th-most populous city in the U.S. Read more →
Charlotte is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. With a population of 874,579 at the 2020 census, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., seventh-most populous city in the South, and second-most populous city in the Southeast. Read more →
Richmond is the capital city of the U.S. state of Virginia. Incorporated in 1742, Richmond has been an independent city since 1871. It is the fourth-most populous city in Virginia, with a population of 226,610 at the 2020 census. Read more →
City descriptions adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA); photos via Wikimedia Commons, credited above.
Estimates use straight-line distance and typical road speeds; real drive times vary with route and traffic.